Braut Haaland’s five goals in this Champions League match constitute a new chapter in this narrative.
After Tuesday’s scoring party, Haaland is up to an incredible 33 goals in 25 games in the most prestigious European Cup. Against Leipzig, he showed again that the ignition level is turned up an extra notch when the Champions League anthem is played.
– It is a fantastic feeling. I can’t describe it. I’m happy, that’s the only thing, Haaland told TV 2 after the match.
– The only thing I can do is go out and do what I’m good at, and I was able to do that today.
He is the third in history to score five goals in one and the same Champions League match. Lionel Messi (for Barcelona against Leverkusen in 2012) and Luiz Adriano (for Shakhtar Donetsk against Bate Borisov in 2014) have done it before. Messi and Haaland are the only ones to have done so in the knock-out rounds.
– Erling was amazing, but everyone was exceptional today. He’s an incredible guy with tremendous talent. The power, the setting. He’s very good, City manager Pep Guardiola told BT Sport after Jærbow’s five goals in 60 minutes.
Haaland is both the fastest (number of matches) and youngest to 30 goals in the tournament. In addition, he has set a club record at City with 39 goals in one season. With the fifth goal he erased Tommy Johnson’s club record of 38 set 94 years ago.
Effectively
After 1-1 in the first game in Germany, Leipzig had a legitimate hope of a peel in Manchester, but the dream of advancement was crushed by a couple of effective Haaland minutes midway through the first half.
City had already produced a couple of great chances when referee Slavko Vincic chose to blow his hands on Leipzig-back Benjamin Henrichs and penalty kick to City. The decision was quickly debated among experts and in social media, but equally gave Haaland the chance to score his 29th Champions League goal.
The Norwegian was as usual safe from the penalty spot and hammered the ball into the right corner.
Just two minutes later, the striker was on the move again. He pressured the visitors’ goalkeeper Janis Blaswich into a weak play and later laid the ball back to Kevin De Bruyne. City’s midfield strategist hammered the ball into the crossbar, but Haaland nodded in the rebound.
– We worked with the high pressure yesterday. I think we should use it even more, Haaland told BT Sport.
[ Braut Haaland på verdenslaget igjen ]
Lucky Ederson
3-0 came just before the break after a header by Ruben Dias on a corner. The Portuguese’s attempt hit the post and bounced along the goal line, and at the back post Haaland was able to tackle another goal.
Meanwhile, the visitors had been unlucky with a referee’s decision again. City goalkeeper Ederson was far out on the pitch and clipped Konrad Laimer, but escaped both a free kick and a sending off. Instead, Leipzig striker Timo Werner received a yellow card for protests.
The City show continued after the page change. Ilkay Gündogan found space and squeezed in 4-0 in the bottom corner, and the Leipzig players seemed completely exhausted.
– We have to be honest. City have a fantastic team, and we had no chance, said Leipzig player Emil Forsberg.
Great marksmanship
It was going to get worse. After a corner kick and a good double save by Blaswich in the 53rd minute, the ball ended up in the feet of Haaland, who thundered in his fourth goal of the evening.
The next goal was similar to the 5-0 score. Blaswich was only able to beat a City attempt back into the box, and there Haaland was perfectly positioned again. The Norwegian had an easy job of scoring 6-0, again with his right foot.
– My superpower is scoring goals. With several of the goals, I didn’t have time to think, I just tried to get the ball in. It’s about putting it where the goalkeeper isn’t, Haaland told BT Sport.
Haaland could have chased the goal record in a single match in the Champions League, but Guardiola chose to save his star striker. After 62 minutes, Jærbow was replaced by Julián Álvarez. He didn’t seem happy about it, and he confirmed to TV 2 that he had hoped to become the first with six goals in a CL game.
– Yes, of course I wanted to, he said.
The last half hour was a transport stage for City, who controlled the events and secured advancement to the quarter-finals by a good margin. In extra time, De Bruyne made it 7-0 with a long shot.
After the match, Braut Haaland had to go out on the grass carpet again and let the supporters praise him. There was little doubt as to who deserved the match ball this evening.
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FACTS
Men’s Champions League Tuesday, round of 16 2nd match:
Manchester City – RB Leipzig 7-0 (3-0), aggregate 8-1
Goals: 1-0 Erling Braut Haaland (size 22), 2-0 Haaland (24), 3-0 Haaland (45), 4-0 Ilkay Gündogan (49), 5-0 Haaland (54), 6-0 Haaland (57), 7-0 Kevin De Bruyne (90).
Erling Braut Haaland played 62 minutes for Manchester C., Ørjan Nyland was an unused reserve for RB Leipzig.
Porto – Inter 0-0, aggregate 0-1
Red card: Pepê (90), Porto.